1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a copier, printer, facsimile apparatus, multifunction apparatus or similar electrophotographic image forming apparatus and more particularly to an image forming apparatus of the type including a process cartridge and a method of mounting or dismounting a waste toner bottle.
2. Description of the Background Art
Today, there is an increasing demand for toner with a small grain size or produced by polymerization that implements high image quality required of a printer, copier or similar image forming apparatus. Also, a current trend is toward an image forming apparatus of the type operable with a process cartridge removably mounted thereto. In this type of image forming apparatus, a waste toner bottle is removably mounted for collecting residual toner removed from a photoconductive element after image transfer. The problem with the waste toner bottle is that it is apt to come off the image forming apparatus and cause the toner to fly about or drop, smearing the operator of the apparatus or the apparatus itself.
In light of the above, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-36011, for example, discloses a mechanism in which a locking portion, included in a lever for releasing an intermediate image transfer belt, locks or unlocks a waste toner bottle to or from an apparatus body in interlocked relation to the contact or the release, respectively, of the belt. This mechanism, however, has a drawback that because the waste toner bottle is simply positioned in an unstable condition, it is apt to drop due to, e.g., an impact when the user unlocks the waste toner bottle by holding the lever and turning it in the unlocking direction. To solve this problem, it is necessary for the user to unlock the waste toner bottle while holding it.